Soft and Bittersweet
by Rosabella98
Summary: After Silas and the crazy witches, Caroline realizes that she left her heart somewhere else... Two shot, AU after 5x07.
1. Soft and Bittersweet

**A/N this is set vaguely season 5, with spoilers up to 5x05. A quick two shot that is also posted on AO3**

College life wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Sure, the parties and the freedom away from little Mystic Falls were all that she had longed for ever since she could remember. In the past couple years alone, after the Salvatores had rolled in to town with the death and destruction following in their wake, the idea of how things might change once she reached that milestone had sustained her through horrors and losses. Now, to put it plainly, she was bored. She missed the adrenaline rush that came with holding death at bay for another day, of fighting alongside her friends, and certain British accent with baby blue- no, she promised herself she wouldn't think of him, no more. It seemed that the further away she was from him, the more time that passed since their playful-almost-but-not-quite flirtatious encounters, the less could she lie to herself. Maybe it was the freedom of college or the boredom of her almost-normal life (you know, when she could forget her roommate's murder or her own nature) but she had found herself gazing off in the distance more and more often, always looking South, towards a certain city in which a certain bad, bad hybrid was just waiting for her to show her the world. How could she stop wondering, after his voice mail and the way he had come back to the little town that had robbed him of two siblings and almost his life just to bid her goodbye. A soft sigh escaped Caroline's lips as she thought back to their goodbye.

_Now you kiss my cheek._

He smelled good, a mix of earthiness and spices, wrapped up in a certain ancient note that was just Klaus. It smelled safe, so different from the image he worked so hard to uphold. To everyone except her, that is. She doesn't remember their faces ever being so close, their mouth just a small twist of her head away. Caroline cannot move though, even if she wanted to. Her eyes, her whole soul it seemed, were big held captive by the never ending ice pools that never failed to mesmerize her. A glint of gold peeked just beneath the blue of Klaus' eyes, never failing to remind her of the demons that haunted this complex man in front of her, his other side that was an ever present shadow to the charming gentleman. Strangely, at that particular moment in time, she could not for the life of her remember any of the many reasons she had for hating the man in front of her, all the terrible things he had done to her friends and strangers alike. All she wanted was to twist her head to the side, closing the small distance between their mouths.

_Soft and bittersweet_

His lips brushed her cheek, ever so softly, just barely a warm whisper against her skin before cold air. It was really a caress, a silent promise. He was saying goodbye, at least for the moment. Their earlier jokes were gone, a solemn seriousness descending on both of them. Their relationship would be irrevocably different now, with his family in New Orleans (of course she knew of his child, Elijah had called her and explained the delicate situation. She had been mad, a little hurt, and yes, even the tiniest bit jealous, but in the end, she could not fault him for it.) Who knew how much time would pass between their next meeting? And however much Caroline might try to pretend she would not miss the charming hybrid, she would be lying to herself. Nobody in Mystic Falls- or even nearby Whitmore College- could match his old world gallantry, his mischievous streak, his complexity, his unique love for her. Bittersweet was the only way to describe their goodbye.

_I can read it in your eyes_

In the days and weeks following their moment in the stadium, Caroline kept going back over his eyes. Always expressive, always telling, that day they shone differently, candidly, his feelings for her written all over. They had teased gently when asking what she wanted for a graduation present (she should have known he'd remember), yet had drunk in her profile in the low half-light of the setting sun in the stadium, the bodies of the dead witches all forgotten behind them. Now, she realized how much she had come to rely on the hybrid, on his ability to rescue her if everything ever went wrong. He had promised to wait for her, knowing that their time was not yet ripe, yet how could he really wait for her for however long it took for her to be ready?

_Baby, this is our goodbye_

It was too late, too late to wish she had done something differently, said something else. A part of her had almost wished he had asked, given her that ticket to New Orleans. But she knew herself- moreover, she knew Klaus too well- when the time came for her to join him, it would be all or nothing. There was never going to be an in-between for the two of them, no matter how much she would have liked to kid herself in the months since her fateful birthday. Goodbye it had to have been, at least for now. Neither of them was yet ready for what it meant to be all in, or maybe both of them were too scared to listen to the part of them that was.

* * *

Her biology homework lay on the other side of the bed, forgotten for the moment as she tried to make sense of her life. The mini fridge that had shown up at her backdoor at the beginning of August with a big red bow and no note- did she really need confirmation of who it was from? was staring back at her almost accusingly, pictures of her life stuck on there. She was alone in her dorm, Elena off to deal with the latest crisis in Mystic Falls and Stefan in class (he had decided to enroll last week after her multiple hints and pushes). Tyler was long gone, either in New Orleans (and most likely dead) or back to his so called pack in the Appalachians she was not sure, nor did she really care. That chapter in Caroline's life was done, closed shut. Stefan had been a rock to her in the past few weeks as he helped her overcome both her grief at Bonnie's death and the sadness at her breakup. He had been the only thing keeping her from shutting the switch, the first time she'd been tempted to in her life as a vampire. Stefan had also been the only true friend she'd had, despite his lack of memories; he had still been there for her every step of the way, just like he'd been since her transition. Elena had been too busy, in and out of Mystic Falls, and too wrapped up in her own grief to care that Caroline too had lost a friend. It was funny, looking back now at her short eighteen years, she could count the people that had really been there on the fingers of one hand: her mother (well, most of the time), Bonnie, Stefan, Matt, and, well Klaus.

Bonnie was gone, her life wasted between one magical problem and the next, always at Elena's beck and call, till she had finally paid the ultimate price. Stefan too had gone from one problem to the next; never caring if the next time might be his last just as long as Elena herself was safe. Caroline had been beside them all along, never protesting her role because she had never known any different. But now, she wondered, what if? What if for once they did something different, something not for Elena, but for themselves? What if instead of tiny Whitmore College, she took out that acceptance letter from Tulane and transferred?

Stefan wouldn't mind, that much she knew. His lack of memories meant he had no clue of his complicated history with Elena, nothing but the smallest twinge of attraction toward the doppelganger. Bonnie was gone, somewhere that none would ever reach her again, and her mother had her work to keep her busy. Matt was the only one of the people she really cared about who might protest in her leaving, try and talk her out of it. Elena would be too wrapped up in Damon and Silas to even try to talk to, but nonetheless would hunt Caroline down once she discovered what she had done. It was time for Caroline to do what she wanted for once, not what was best for Elena.

A couple phone calls and a note to Stefan later and Caroline was in her little car, just a couple suitcases tucked in the back as she drove down the southbound highway. Whitmore College was actually north of Mystic Falls, and due to the lateness of her start, Caroline planned on spending the night in the little town she had grown up in. Seeing familiar landmarks flash by, she stopped outside the Mystic Grill, hoping to catch Matt at the end of his shift. Margaret sat her down a table and brought her the usual wedge salad and strawberry lemonade that Caroline had ordered ever since she was a kid.

"Margaret, is Matt working tonight?" she asked.

"Yes, he should just be finishing up? Shall I tell him you're here?" The waitress asked with a smile. Margaret had grown up down the street from Caroline, just a few years older, and thus knew all the Mystic Falls gang. Caroline just gratefully smiled at the other girl, and dug hero her salad. In no time at all, familiar blue eyes and broad shoulders walked towards her, picking her right up from her seat and swung her around.

"Care! What are you doing here?" Matt asked, when they finally broke apart.

"Just passing through, and I wanted to talk to you." Caroline replied as Margaret came back with a soda and burger for Matt.

"Sure, shoot." Matt said with an easy going grin as he leaned back in the booth. He turned his devastatingly handsome blue eyes on her in a way that Caroline knew from experience meant she had his undivided attention.

"I don't really know how to say it, I mean I guess it's been coming for a while… I'm transferring to Tulane." Caroline said in a rush of words, unable to refer to her real reason for transferring aloud. She had never been one to waste time on pleasantries while there were serious matters to be discussed, and this was no exception. Matt didn't say anything at all, just stared at her with a serious expression in his blue eyes.

"When are you heading down to New Orleans?" he finally asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I'm going to sleep at my mom's tonight and pick up some things I left behind and wait for Stefan to catch up."

"Why are you telling me all of this, Caroline? Are you asking for my blessing? Because that's something I don't know if I'll ever be able to give to Klaus of all people. Unless…" Matt said, naming the till then unspoken connotation of Caroline's decision.

"I guess that is why I came here, but also to ask advice. What could I do to let you give Klaus at least a chance?" Caroline asked.

"Let me come with you and see the glimmer of hope that you see within him." Matt said, leaning back as Caroline stole a couple of his fries.

"Come with me? To New Orleans? But what about Mystic Falls and-and Elena?" Caroline asked, perplexed.

"Mystic Falls has long been more of a prison than a home for me, and recently its just become so stifling. I don't want you to go to New Orleans by yourself, moreover, because you're my friend, and it's long past time for someone to put you first." Matt said. "Plus, you are going to need someone to protect your virtue from unwanted admirers in the big city." He joked with a devastating smile, and Caroline was lost.

"Thank you, Matt." Caroline said touched, covering his hand with hers.

* * *

The next morning, they were off bright and early, Caroline driving her little blue car with Stefan sitting beside her and Matt sleeping in the backseat buried in a pile of luggage. New confidence filled her spirit, knowing that in some way, she was fulfilling her destiny. The hours flew by as they laughed and talked, an unseen weight coming off their shoulders. The small group in the car only quieted down as the car slowly slowed down as they reached the city limits of New Orleans, caught in the stifling traffic of the city. Caroline did nothing to actively seek out Klaus's house, knowing that hybrid eyes would be on them the moment they passed the limits of the city, if not all the way from Mystic Falls. Instead, she drove a roundabout way to the cute little apartment next to the Tulane campus she had compelled them and unpacked the car. She was not in the slightest surprised when Stefan and Matt hung back as they found the door open, nor was she surprised when somebody was in the living room. After all, this was the real reason she was here, wasn't she?

"Hello." Caroline said. They had had their goodbye, their ending because to have a beginning you must have an ending. And now this was their beginning, the beginning of Klaus and Caroline instead of two separate beings. A quite simple word, hello, for the meaning it conveyed. "I'm here." She echoed, and lost herself in the twin pools of love in his blue eyes as he opened his arms for her.


	2. I Almost Do

**_Chapter Two: I Almost Do_**

* * *

**_AN: So this is a little belated, but I've been very busy writing my other story, Always and Forever. This is more of a counterpart (Klaus's side) than a follow up to chapter one, and I'm not sure that I will continue it... Anyways, here is the second part as promised! Let me know your thoughts!_**

* * *

_New Orleans, Present Day_

What little difference a century really makes in the scheme of things, he thought, despite the first little superficial differences. Sure, the people and their customs changed, their language and clothing, regimes rose and fell, but the city remained the same. A sense of pride enveloped him every time he strode around the French Quarter as he saw how well it had stood the passing of time. Of course, these days it was tinged with a touch of annoyance as he remembered that another-_his protégé, his friend, the closest thing he'd had to a son_\- now claimed the position as head of the Quarter. But it soon passed, for he knew it was but a speck in his long life span. Once, he probably would have already killed all vampires in the Quarter and regained his throne by force, but recently he had learned the value of a waiting game. A wry smile crossed his face as he found yet another aspect of his life that was changed-that was better- because of her. Even though she was far away, still caught in the drama of little Mystic Falls and Elena Gilbert, he could feel her presence everywhere around him. He saw her joy and light in the beautiful music, her warmth in warm sunshine, her dry humor in the pretty gothic architecture, her morality and compassion every time he acted out. Caroline Forbes had gotten under his skin, and he feared he would never shake her presence if he lived another millennium.

She was like the proverbial angel on his shoulder, counseling him to choose mercy and compassion, always fighting against his dark side. Nobody, not his family, not Tatia, had ever made Niklaus Mikaelson look into himself and want to change. Until a baby vampire, forever stuck in a gap year, had looked up at him at his worst moment, and confessed that she knew he could be saved, despite his festering bite on her neck bringing her closer and closer to death. As she had closed her eyes, he had realized not that he was in love with her- he had known that for a while- but that he could not bear to live in a world without her and her light. So he had sped over to her and torn into his wrist, pushing into her mouth and praying to a God for the first time in half a millennium that he was not too late. As her breathing had evened out, he had held her in his arms so gently, scared that he would wake her up, or worse, hurt her. In that moment, his soul had known peace for the first time since he had been human, and he had made a solemn vow to himself. Niklaus Mikaelson had promised to try and become the man she saw in him, become the best version of himself. The big bad hybrid now had a weakness. He had also sworn that he would stop pursuing her, give her time to realize by herself that Mystic Falls wasn't going to enough for her, and hope that she would come to him. If you love something, set it free, and if things were meant to be, they'll come back to you, the old adage said. Well, things had never been that easy for Klaus and Caroline, but he was trying. He had left, restraining himself to a simple kiss on the cheek and a promise for their future. Walking away from her in that stadium had been the single hardest thing he'd done in his millennium walking the Earth. The softening in her eyes and almost disappointed down-tilt of her mouth at his gentleman's kiss had given him hope that maybe something had changed, but it was too soon for them to be. He had even restrained himself on his guards, with only a couple of compelled vampires observing her from far away with strict orders to only get close if she was in danger. By his standards, it was extremely mild. Yet, he knew that she would hate to be followed around by his 'minions'. Klaus was pretty much in the dark about her life, not knowing anything beyond her coming and goings.

_I bet you're sitting in your chair by the window looking out at the city / And I bet sometimes you wonder about me_

He had reached a park bench in the middle of the Quarter, bathed in the late afternoon sun. Klaus sat down, content to let the sheer life around him engulf him. It was a peaceful place for him, away from Hayley's constant whining and Rebekah's eternal head bitch behavior and Elijah's a thousand and one problems and his morals and Klaus's own role to play in their little family drama, the bastard child, the odd-man out, the artist, the villain. Here, he could just be Klaus Mikaelson, an artist and a man in love, without the baggage of a millennium. Nobody knew about his long walks around the Quarter and the peace and freedom anonymity gave him, afraid that somebody could use it as a weakness. While he sat at the bench, Caroline inevitably invaded his thoughts. He wondered if she ever did the same, just wondered about him.

Probably not, the eternal pessimist said. She's probably too busy getting wrapped up in the doppelganger's drama and the Salvatore boys' triangle, not to mention that insolent pup, Tyler. She probably hasn't thought of you or your pathetic weakness once. Klaus knew it was torture, to ask himself a question which the answer he might never find out or find out in a century, when his beloved finally sought him out. Yet, even thinking about her, her beautiful eyes, her smile, (the real one, like the ones she had given him at the Mystic Falls pageant when he'd teased her, not her fake head of every committee smile) her light, just made him feel better. She brought a certain sense of peace that his soul had been lacking for far too long. Beneath all her beauty, all of her light, he knew that she too fought a constant battle against the dark side of the shared nature. He had seen it when she had killed the witches, compelled a girl for being too flirty with her boyfriend, And it was that part of her, her dark side, that he knew would wonder about him, wonder if he still waited like he'd promised, if he would pick her above anybody else. And he would.

_It takes everything in me not to call you_

Every time he took out his phone and his saw his background- a candid photo of the two of them that a journalist had taken, in which their heads were leaning towards one another, and both of them had this genuine smile on their face- he wanted to click on her contact and call her. Klaus wanted to hear her say her name, her little exasperated sigh that by now was more for show than anything else. He wanted to know every detail about her life, how she liked college, what she was majoring in (he hoped it would be something that suited her like journalism or psychology or drama) and yes, even what was going with the regular Mystic Falls Scooby gang and her precious Tyler. But, he had made a vow to let her come to him of her own volition, and he would keep that promise, unless something threatened the life of his love. Of course, their separation was making his notorious temper flare up, and he feared that he might have been a little bit harsh to his siblings earlier, but that was just one of the many reasons he needed her in his life.

Presently, his phone rang, the shrill tone interrupting him. Picking it up, he realized the sky had darkened significantly since he had sat down on the park bench.

"Yes?" He barked into the cell phone as he traced his footsteps back toward his home.

"It's me. She's on the move." Said the voice of one of the two vampires compelled to keep track of Caroline.

"Where is she? Is she alright?" Klaus asked, worried.

"She's in Mystic Falls, I think she's stopping for the night. I overheard her and that blond busboy friend of hers talking about continuing on tomorrow morning with the other vampire." The vampire relayed. "She seems perfectly fine."

"What's her destination? And which other vampire?" Klaus asked, relieved that his beloved was alright. He had recognized the quarterback, Matt something that his sister had been so fond of by the vampire's description, but he needed to know what other vampire. Was it Tyler, or Damon, or even his old friend, Stefan? And what did it mean that Caroline was heading south, inevitably closer to him? Was he reading too much into this? Most likely.

"That one is broody. Very serious. They seem good friends, but nothing romantic. And I think she said she's going to New Orleans. Is that enough information?" The vampire asked, obviously wanting to do something different on a Saturday night than tailing a baby vampire to a rendezvous with an old friend in her hometown.

"Yes. Stay close to her and let me know if anything changes. Don't lose sight of her until she enters the perimeter of New Orleans, do you understand me? If anything happens to her, I'm going to make you wish you were never born, and I have had over a millennium of experience with torture." Klaus said, ending the phone call before the vampire could respond. He heaved a breath, in disbelief mostly, that his Caroline was actually seeking him out, actually coming for him. And with Stefan and Matt in tow, it seemed. He smiled, an evil grin by all counts, and sped home. He had plans to make and an arrival to prepare for, after all. But now there was a certain spring in his step, a twinkle in his eyes, that had always been missing before.


End file.
